Combination table and bench structure and teeter-totter



June 6, 1950 P. scHLADERMUNDT 2,510,199

COMBINATION TABLE AND BENCH STRUCTURE AND TEETER-TOTTER Filed April 2e, 1947 ,arm/wins Patented June 6, '1950 COMBINATION TBLE AND BENCH STRUC- TURE lAND TEETER-TOTTER Y Peter Schladermundt, Bronxville, N. Y. Application April as, 1947, serial No. '144,057y

1 Claim.

y The present invention relates to table and bench structures and vteeter totters and, more particularly, to such a structure adapted for children which may alternately serve as a table and bench structure and a teeter totter upon simple manipulation. The general object of the present invention is to provide such a structure which is sturdy and of simple construction, may be economically produced and which may be manipulated in one simple manner to serve .as a solid table and bench unit free from tendency to dangerous collapse and which, when again manipulated in another simple manner. may be converted into a strong and safeteeter totter that will effectively support little tots during rocking action without danger of them tumbling off backwards.

A more vspecific object of the invention is to provide such 'a structure characterized by a frame supporting a table ton associated with suitable rocker means intermediate bench seats equipped with pivoted backs which may be easilyv swung down to and latched in supporting positions to cooperate with the rocker means in effectively holding the table and benches in :a rigid position, with the seat backs also adaptedreadily to be swung upwardly at will and again latched so that the structure is then supported solely on the rocker means' to serve as a teeter totter with the seat backs providing security during rocking motion.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the present invention showing in full lines the positions of the seat backs and associated parts when swung down to and latched in supporting positions so that the unit serves as a rigid bench and table unit, and also showing in dotted lines the positions of the seat backs and latching means when swung up and again latched to serve as back rests with the structure converted into a teeter totter; and

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

'The embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawing'comprises a frame structure pref-V erably including two laterally extending, bowed side rails I0, I0. On the outsides of the medial portions of the side rails I0, I0 are fixed a pair of transversely spaced apart rockers II, II by any suitable means, such as through bolts I2, I2, and with a bridge piece or brace I3 mounted between the side rails. As will be seen from Fig. 1 each rocker II has the bottom end I4 thereof curved to rock over a iioor or other laterally extending supporting surface, diagramatically indicated `at I5. The rtop end I6 of each rocker I l has a pair of transversely extending holes therein receiving pins I'l, I1 mounted in the ends of transverselyextending cross braces I8, I8 positioned between the top ends of the two rockers. A table top I9 is mounted in a lateral position upon the top ends I6, I6 of the rockers II, II by any suitable means, such as by the cross braces I8, I8 to which the table top may be fastened by screws 20. 20.

On each end of the frame structure provided by the pair of side rails IIJ,v I0 is securely mounted a bench seat ZI by any suitable means, such as screws 22, 22. The back end 23 of each bench seat 2I has pivoted thereto on opposite sides angle brackets 24, 24. Each angle bracket 24 preferably has a relatively short arm 25 pivotally mounted at 26 to the edge of the seat 2| and a relatively long arm 21 extending at an angle to the short arm 25 and fastened by any suitable means to an edge of a seat back 28. Each seat back 28 is thus fixed between the long arms 21, 21 of one pair of cooperating angle brackets 24, 24. For this purpose screws 29, 29 may be employed in cooperation with headed studs or nails 30, 30, with each of the latte1` having its head extending laterally a short distance out away from the outer face of angle bracket arm 21.

Each bench seat 2I has pivoted to the sides thereof at 3|, 3| a pair of latch brackets 32, 32. Each latch bracket 32 preferably comprises an elongated member or arm as shown, having one end thereof pivoted to an edge of the bench seat 2| at 3l and the other end provided with a pair of holes 33 and 34 for alternate engagement therein of the extending head of stud 30 when the seat back is swung either vdown to the full line position or up to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. Of course, holes 33, 33 and 34, 34 are at least slightly larger than the heads of studs 30, 30 readily to receive the latter as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In operation, the embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawing may serve as a rigid bench and table unit when the seat backs 28, 28 are swung down to the full line positions shown in Fig. 1, with the top ends of those seat backs swung back beneath the back ends 23, 23 of the bench seats 2l, 2l for secure support; The latch arms 32, 32 at each end of the frame are swung down to the full line positions and the headed studs 3D, 30 are engaged in the holes 33, 33, detachably to latch the two, seat backs.

28, 2B in those structure-supporting positions. As shown in Fig. 1, the distance between the crown of the curved end I4 of each rocker l! at 35 and the top edge of the adjacentside rail l is substantially equal to the length of each seat back 28, so that the two rockers and the two seat backs cooperate to support the bench and table unit upon. .al laterally extending surface I5.

When it is desired to convert the rigid table and bench unit into'a teeter totter, each of the four latch arms 32, 32 are ilexed laterally to disen gage the headed Studs30, 30 from the latch arm holes 33, 33 with those heads carefully aligned with the holes. The seat backs 28, 28 are then swung outwardly up to the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 1 and the latch arms 32, 32 are swung up so as to engage the headed studs 3B, 3&3 in the latch arm holes 34, 34. Thus the seat backs 23, 28 are detachably latched in the dotted line positions shown in Fig. 1, so, that the apparatus may serve, as a teeter totter with the seat backs providing a measure of safety for the occupants.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above and thoseY made apparent in the preceding description are eciently attained and, since certain. changes may be made in the above construction ;and dierent embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, itv isA intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofA the invention herein de- 4 scribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A combination table and bench structure and teeter totter comprising, in combination, an elongated frame structure, a table top rnedially mounted on said frame structure, a pair of bench seats mounted on opposite ends of said frame structure, rocker means of certain elevation for medial support of said frame structure, two pairs of angle brackets with each pair having laterally extending arms pivotally mounted on the back end of one of said bench seats and with each bracket having another arm extending at an angle tothe pivoted arm thereof, a pair of seat backs each fixed between the angular arms of one pair of said angle brackets to be pivoted thereby between two positions, the two positions respectively being a ,downwardly extending frame-supporting position with the bracketsupported end of eachY of said seat backs swung under the back end of its bench seat whereby the latter rests on thatv seat back end .and any upwardly extending back-supporting position with the bracket-supported end swung up torbehind the back, end of its. bench seat, and` two pairs of latch` arms, with, each pair having` ends thereofV pivotally mountedon one of said, bench seats and the other ends thereof adapted to be swung, up and down detachably to engage and latch the adjacent seat back in either of. its two positions, each seat back being of such length as cooperatively to engage with said rocker means a laterally extending surface to support together said frame structure in a substantially lateral position.

' PETER SCHLADERMUNDT;

meraclasicas` CITED The. followingY references arey of record in the le of this. patent;

Number Name Date 258,694 Barton May 30, 1882 404,267 Botkin June 4, 1,889

2,225,723 Spitzwieser Dec. 24, 1940 

